Say You Love Me, and I Shall Be Joyous Once More
by The teenager trying to improve
Summary: Juvia Loxar is content with the commoner life she's led. She's fine with her quaint cottage, she has friends who care for her, and she is certainly content with the man she has fallen in love with. But one meeting changes everything, and Juvia suddenly finds herself involved with the queen, the counsel, and two confusing princes. In all the events to come, will her heart live?
1. And so a tale begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

The young woman woke at the crack of dawn, rubbing her eyes, as she got up from her bed.

Time to get going. A full day was ahead of her, after all.

Running a hand through her short, blue locks, she looked around her small room in her cottage, searching for clothes. She settled on a pair of slim, tweed pants, pulling them on, as she walked to her tiny kitchen.

Her cobalt eyes, still hazy with slumber, searched for the leftover almond cake she had in her cupboard. And when she found it, the girl stuffed her face quickly.

Fast breakfasts were always the way to go on days like this.

She stretched her shoulders, grabbing her dagger from her minuscule, oak table and putting it into her leather sheath strapped to her pants. She then reached for a piece of parchment and her her bottle of ink, picking up her hawk-feather quill, too.

Dipping the writing tool into the bottle of dark liquid, she began to construct a small note.

Besides, if she didn't Gajeel would probably give her grief about it later.

* * *

_A fair morning to you, Gajeel!_

_Juvia has to step out to do some things, but please, Gajeel shouldn't worry about anything. Gajeel should help himself to some almond cake while Juvia's away!_

_I bid you good health,_

_Juvia Loxar._

* * *

Nodding her head in satisfaction for her note, the young lady, Juvia Loxar, stood up to head out.

The young lady looked out the window, watching the cold, rough, beautiful landscape of her home, taking in the mountains and the lush of trees.

She hoped it wasn't too cold, as it had been for the last week or so.

Sighing, Juvia put on her wool socks and her boots.

She glanced back at her warm kitchen, bracing herself for the weather outside.

Alright, time to go.

* * *

Gray Fullbuster was, in a word, bored.

Extremely, excruciatingly, unbearably bored.

You would think that years of bearing through these longwinded, practically pointless gatherings of the royal counsel, that it would get easier to get through. But, no.

Good god, he wished this was over and done with. And it looked like his adoptive mother agreed, judging by the look of impatience on her face.

The dark haired, young man sighed, hiding a smirk.

Ur shouldn't scowl like that- in fact, no queen should ever scowl like that, it was unbecoming. Or, at least that's what her counselors thought.

Gray himself didn't give a care about it. She was the damned supreme ruler of Fiore. As far as he was concerned, she could scowl however much she very well pleased. But those counselors thought otherwise.

Speaking of which...

"And I should think that is all the counsel has come to bring up this day," an old, wrinkled member said, finally finishing up his long speech.

Ur Milkovich nodded sharply.

"Good. We will discuss this matter later today, as I have other matters to attend to," she said, her obsidian eyes appearing stern, but Gray could see the feeling of glee that the members had stopped talking underneath it. "Now, you may go. And good day."

The people in the room slowly trickled out, as Gray snickered under his breath.

He glanced to the side, looking at his brother, Lyon, who was already rising from his chair and starting to go out. Gray stood up as well, stretching.

Gray turned on his heel, preparing to leave. But before he could leave, Ur called out.

"You two. Halt."

Her voice had an edge to it that meant she wanted to talk about something _very _important. And Gray groaned inwardly, wonder what they had gotten themselves into, now.

It certainly didn't help matters that his sister, Ultear, who was sitting beside the queen, had an perplexed look on her face. It seemed she was just as confused as them.

Gray scowled.

Lyon sighed, raking a hand through his silver hair.

Both males turned back, and stood side by side in front of the older woman.

"Yes?" Lyon asked, his onyx eyes questioning.

Gray just eyed the woman wearily.

Ur stared back, her face suddenly scrunched up. Gray briefly feared she was going to start yelling at them for some mystery act they did.

Which was why he was surprised when she laughed and said:

"You two look like you are lined up for execution. Smile for once, it's good for the soul."

To this, the dark haired young man rolled his eyes.

"Your Majesty, was there something in particular you needed?" He asked in a clipped tone, trying to move things along.

Ur scowled for about the fifth time that day.

"Gray, I've told you not to call me that," she said, sighing heavily. "But, yes. There is something I need to discuss with both of you, and it is important. So, listen."

Both of the youths straightened, their ears perked.

Her majesty the queen cleared her throat, looking at both of them with clear, serious eyes.

"I have decided something. Something I've thought about for awhile, now, and I think that you two are finally ready," she said, her voice never wavering from it's strong, firm tone. "Now, before I tell you, please keep in mind that this not only affects you, but the whole kingdom as well."

Lyon raised an eyebrow, as a slightly worried look crossed his features.

"Ur... what are you saying?" The fair haired boy asked, his voice low and quiet.

"You shouldn't interrupt me when I am speaking to you, Lyon," Ur replied, looking him dead in the eye.

Lyon shuffled uncomfortably, but kept his gaze on her.

Gray felt uneasy, and he didn't know why, but nothing good could come of that. He felt even more uneasy when Ur just stared at them, not uttering a single word.

The seconds trickled by like hours, and Gray felt his stomach knot.

Finally, she sighed, shaking her head and smiling sadly.

"I can't believe how grown up you two look," Ur laughed.

She stood up straight and cleared her throat. "I, Queen Ur Milkovich of Fiore, have made the decision that my sons, Princes Lyon Vastia," she said, turning her head to the silver haired male, "And Gray Fullbister."

Gray felt his stomach tighten when she turned head towards him, her face schooled into a expression of sharpness.

What exactly was this decision? What did she do? He didn't feel good about this at all.

...

"Are to be bound to another in holy matrimony."

_Are to be bound to another in holy matrimony..._

Gray's eyes widened to the size of saucers, too stunned to speak.

_Holy matrimony..._

_Matrimony..._

_ Marriage._

...

A shock went through Gray's brain, snapping him out of his previous stupor.

What in the hell?

Never in a million years did he think Ur would say those words. She had _never _brought this up with them. Gray didn't even think she even thought about them marrying in the future, so what was different, now? Why did she want them to do this? There had to be a reason, some explainable, perfectly normal explanation.

"And I will arrange for your new spouse in due time."

His mind was rushing through questions and thoughts, Gray glanced around at the people in the large room.

Ur was still sitting, calm and cool, as if it was completely normal to ask her sons to get married to someone they didn't know. Ultear was beside her, her face equally stunned, and she was sputtering random things in her mother's ear.

Then, his eyes flickered to Lyon, who had been silent for quite some time, now.

His brother's face was completely blank, as if he had no emotion at all. His arms fell limply at his sides, and his eyes just stared dully at the wall.

Gray turned his eyes to the floor, before taking a deep breath.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say this is a surprise," he said, looking at Ur. "And I think that I also speak for everyone when I ask, what the hell brought this up?"

His voice was calm, but there was confusion thinly veiled in it.

Ur chuckled.

"Good question, Gray," she said, throwing her head back, the aura of royal stature around her dissipating instantly. Now, she seemed like the Ur her children knew and loved, the Ur who wasn't a stiff woman in a dress. "I just feel like it's time. I think you're as ready as you'll ever be."

"Is that so?" Gray asked, not really understanding what she was getting at.

Ur full-out laughed, a sweet, loud, familiar sound to Gray's ears.

"Look, I feel that you two are mature enough for marriage. I'm not going to live forever- When I'm gone one you will have to take the throne, and when that happens you will need a good queen by your side."

Gray just stared, making her laugh louder.

"Besides, I'm sure that one of the ladies in crocus would be more than happy for me to choose them as your new bride," she said, winking.

_SLAM_

Both Gray and Ur whipped their heads to the side, startled by the sudden noise.

Lyon, who had been silent, had slammed his hands down on the table, looking down so that his face was obscured by his hair.

"Lyon-" Ur began, only to be cut off by him slamming his hand on the table again.

Lyon looked up, his eyes full of fire, and his jaw clenched.

"Why." He demanded, looking Ur in her eyes, not backing down when her gaze became hard and cold as ice.

"I was just telling you why-"

"No! Why are you doing this? Why are you arranging us to be married? And don't give me that shit you've been spouting!" Lyon yelled, pushing his hands off the table, but his gaze never wavering away from the queen.

"Lyon!" Ur yelled, her pupils narrowing dangerously, "I told you why. This is not only what's best for you, but also what's best for Fiore!"

"Why? Why is it what's best for me? For Fiore?!"

"Like it or not, Lyon, you will need a queen if you wish to take my place! Fiore needs a queen just as much as a king!" Ur stood out of her seat, slamming her own hands on the table, all previous calmness gone.

Lyon just stood there, breathing heavily, his jaw still clenched.

Gray was bewildered by him. Never before had Lyon gotten this angry, never before had he argued this much with Ur. He was always the more calm one, always the one pulling Gray out of fights when he got angry. But now, he wasn't like that at all. It was like he was a new person; there was so much... rage in his eyes.

"I am not only making you do this as the queen, but also as your mother, Lyon," Ur softly said, her eyes going from furious to gentle. "I want you to have a queen you can rule with. I do want you to be happy."

That had calmed him down a bit, and now Lyon was seething less.

"Why must you arrange it for us? It can wait until we're ready. What about everything you told us when we were children?" He asked, confusion, and oddly enough, sadness in his expression. "What about marrying for love?"

"Love?" Gray scoffed, "This is what's best for our home, Lyon. We have to do this for Fiore. It's far more important than affection."

"What do you know of love?" Lyon spat at him, fists clenching in anger.

"And you know more about love?!" Gray yelled back, feeling anger rising in his chest.

Lyon's face went blank again, all furiousness gone in an instant. He sat down in his chair again, his eyes glued to the floor, as his gaze turned tender.

"More than you think." It came out as a whisper - Gray barely heard it, and he could tell Ur and Ultear didn't at all.

And for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, Gray felt confused.

* * *

Juvia squatted low on the ground behind a tree in the deep, wild woods, carful not to frighten the flock of turkeys a few feet away from her.

Alright, just one of these would feed her for a whole week! Now all she had to do was hit.

The young woman unsheathed her dagger, spinning it with her finger. She calculated the distance in her head, her hand gripping the handle of her knife.

On the count of three.

_One._

She gripped her weapon harder.

_Two._

She reminded herself not to throw too hard.

_Three._

Juvia let the knife loose, throwing it at the biggest turkey in the bunch with alarming speed. Sure enough, it hit it's target, slamming right into the animal's head.

Juvia winced and frowned.

"Juvia's sorry, Turkey," she said, walking over to the dead bird, "But she has to eat."

She eyed the dagger, and she was about to take it out, when she heard laugh.

A melodic, lighthearted, wonderful laugh.

Juvia blushed.

She knew that laugh.

"You know, only you would apologize to your prey," a male voice behind her said.

"J-Juvia felt bad for the turkey..." she trailed off, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes, but like you said," the voice called, as she heard the crunch of leaves being crushed by boots right behind her, "You need to eat, Juvia."

"Juvia still feels sorry."

"I know, but that's what I like about you. You're so kind that even if it's to eat, you would still apologize to the animal you killed," the voice murmured in her ear, and Juvia felt arms embrace her from behind.

"You've been away for awhile," she said, turning her head to look up at the man who held her.

Ebony eyes greeted her, sparkling in the light of the day.

Her only thought was how much she loved those eyes.

"I know, I'm sorry," he said, his eyes apologetic.

"Juvia missed you," she said, reaching up to feel his spiky, silver hair between in fingertips.

"Did you, now?" He smirked, also reaching up, to put her hand on his cheek instead of in his hair.

Oh, she did. She missed him so, so much. It almost hurt.

"Yes."

"I missed you, too."

"Did you, now?" Juvia said, smiling widely, standing and leaning up against a large tree behind her.

"Yes," he whispered, standing in front of her.

He leaned in towards her, cheeky grin ever so evident on his handsome face.

"I missed you," he said again, looking deep into her eyes.

Juvia felt her breath quicken, as he leaned in even further.

"Will you ever tell Juvia where you go?" She asked, looking down at the ground.

The man in front of her just chuckled, leaning in even further, his face inches from her.

"Maybe... if you gave me a kiss?" He responded, his breath tickling her face.

Juvia turned bright red.

He was teasing her again, wasn't he?

He laughed again, that lovely laugh she knew.

"Only kidding~," he said.

Juvia pouted.

He turned silent again, looking at her through half lidded eyes.

"Tell me, Juvia," he said softly, "Tell me again."

Juvia closed her eyes, a small smile making it's way onto her features. She could still feel his eyes watching her.

"Juvia loves you," she whispered.

And she did.

She loved him with her whole heart and being. He was the only one who made her feel like this. Who made her feel like a blushing little girl, who made her feel like her chest was going to explode, who made her feel lightheaded and loved at the same time. Loving him was slow and sweet, it was dizzying and glorious in all the right ways. And being with him right now felt... right, as if they were meant to be like this forever.

"Juvia loves you, Eli."

* * *

Lyon looked at the girl in front of him, a smile on his lips.

He rarely smiled at the castle, but with her it was different.

It was always different with Juvia.

"Juvia loves you, Eli."

Lyon loved the way that sounded on her tongue. It was beautiful, but then again, Juvia made everything sound beautiful. But, at the same time he felt a little sad, for he knew very well that it wasn't his real name.

She knew it wasn't, too. She had know and asked about it since the start, but that was the name he gave her, so that was what she called him.

It hurt him so much, not being able to tell her, but he couldn't. It was strictly forbidden for a prince to fall in love with a commoner, a rule that was simply never broken. It was considered Taboo. Wrong. And that rule was utterly idiotic, Lyon knew.

Even if she didn't know about a huge part of his life, he knew she knew virtually everything else about him.

She knew his favorite foods, knew about his love for music, about how he loved winter, about the things that annoyed him, and the things that overjoyed him. She knew how he thought and all of his habits and quirks, and yet, he couldn't tell her everything. Not his name, and certainly not his family. She didn't even know about his royal stature, and while he was sad, he was also slightly glad. She didn't know any of that and she still loved him, and that was enough.

But god, looking at her now, in the middle of the woods, the light shining down perfectly on her perfect face, he wanted to tell her everything.

And he also wanted to bask in her beauty forever.

"I love you, too," he said, brushing his lips against her cheek.

He looked down at her again, guilt and grief finding it's way into his heart.

He didn't want to be wed. Not now, not when he had her. She was his everything, and she was about to be ripped away from him very soon. Lyon knew he had to do this for his land, he _knew_, and he was prepared to sacrifice everything for Fiore.

But, that didn't mean that his heart ached any less.

"Is everything alright?" Juvia asked, her eyelids fluttering open.

Lyon looked at her deep, blue eyes.

"Yes," he lied.

And then his kissed her. And it was sweet and gentle, just like her.

Maybe he was stupid, for just being here and doing this, but all he could think about was her and this moment.

He knew one thing, though.

If he was stupid for loving her, for wanting this to last until the end of time... then he would gladly be a moron for the rest of his life.

* * *

**First chapter complete! **

**Alright, first off I wanna say that yes, I _do_ know that this is so much romance from the very start. I apologize, but I really needed to incorporate how much Juvia and Lyon loved each other cuz' it's important to the story.**

**I will explain in full detail on how Lyon and Juvia met, but it'll be a little later on. For all you Gray fans, yes, he will be appearing a lot in this story.**

**I would really love it if anyone would tell me what they think about my first chapter, how I portrayed the characters, and anything else about the story in the review box, so please, feel free to do so.**


	2. Marriage?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Gray Fullbuster was exhausted.

Not to mention he had a headache.

Walking down the halls of his very large home, he turned into the drawing room where he usually took his tea, and sat down to relax.

And let's face it, with the day he had, he really needed to relax.

Gray leaned back on the soft, plush divan he was now sitting on, trying to sort out his thoughts, despite his confusion and annoyance.

Marriage.

What did he know of marriage?

Sure, he knew how the ceremony worked, and he knew all the rules that came with it - he wasn't stupid. But...

But what about after the wedding? What happened then? He might have known about weddings and ceremonies, but he didn't know the fist thing about being a husband. Was he supposed to court his wife? No wait, that always comes before the wedding. And what about... was he...? Was he expected to produce an heir?

Gray groaned and shuddered at his own train of thoughts.

God.

The dark haired prince put his head in his hands, leaning over his knees in a very _un_-princely manner.

He was eighteen now, considered a proper age to wed, but was he ready? He didn't know.

Gray sighed into his hands.

And then, of course, there was the issue of _who _he was actually marrying. His... Fiancé. There were a few amount of eligible women around his age that he thought Ur would actually consider picking for his future wife, let alone any that he wanted to be the significant other of. The only ones he could stand at the very least were even fewer.

Some of the few were the Blendys. Smart, young, and pretty; the two, raspberry haired, cousins were the very definition of poise.

Gray had met fair Sherry, the daughter of Duke Blendy of the kingdom Bosco. She was... kind of annoying, but not overwhelmingly so, and he got the feeling that she a lot was nicer to Lyon for some reason. Gray just hoped that the other Blendy, Chelia (whom had yet to meet), was at least as tolerable as her cousin.

Then there was the strong Lady Scarlet, or just Erza, as he he called her.

The Lady Erza Scarlet was a polite, charming lady in the ballroom, and a _fury _on the battle field. Yes, she was the most skilled fighter he had ever met, and not only that, but she was also clever and very understanding. Although, he had to admit... she was also very _intimidating, _almost scarily so.

Gray and Erza were quite close, actually. They often played and trained together in the beginning of their adolescents - Erza had taught him many things, such as: how to wield a sword, and how to disarm a man in three seconds. In return, he had taught her things, too, like how to make ice sculptures and how to write calligraphy. They were there for each other when others were not, and Gray considered her to be a good, dependable friend, someone he would always trust.

Although they were so close, the young prince didn't think she would ever agree to marry him. Knowing Erza, she would probably think it was a joke, then she would laugh it off very, very loudly, and then proceed to drag him away for a healthy battle training session.

Gray chuckled to himself quietly, as he shook his head, leaning back on the divan cushion.

And that reminded him...

Another of his friends was also an eligible bachelorette, and was most likely another candidate for his future spouse. Ah yes, Lady Lisanna of the family of Strauss.

Gray laughed out loud, rubbing his face with his hands.

She was the youngest out of three children of the of the late Earl Elfons Strauss, a good, honest man of kind words and wise judgment.

They had been friends practically since birth, him and Lisanna. Elfons was a trusted colleague of his mother's, and was always called upon. And when he traveled to the kingdom, of course he always brought the young Strauss children along with him, so Gray and Lyon had grown up with them as playmates.

Lisanna was the closest in age to the young princes, so naturally she would played with them more. In fact, all three of them had been as thick as thieves ever since childhood, and it really wasn't hard to see why.

Lisanna was one of the kindest people Gray had ever met; she was warm and earnest, always tell people the straight out truth. Not only that, but she was also happy all the time. Bubbly. Like she had this never-ending joyous aura, a bright energy coursing all throughout her, and around her. She was an being of light.

She was also probably one of his best friends, Erza, too.

And Gray knew he seriously didn't want to marry either of them.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that. Ever. God, he hoped with all his heart it never came to that. Now, he knew that, in a way, Lisanna and Erza were the perfect choices for wives. He knew that they both had what it took to be a queen, if either of them married Gray and he _did _become king.

Gray was familiar with then, comfortable with them, and a marriage to one of them probably wouldn't be bad... but... no.

It wasn't right. He didn't _feel _right thinking about his friends as potential wives. It felt wrong and weird, and Gray didn't want to marry Erza of Lisanna. Not only because the thought of either of them as his wife made him feel weird in the wrong way, but also because it wasn't fair to them. It wasn't fair at all. Gray could live with a marriage built on duties to his kingdom and that alone with nothing else, he honestly didn't care, but they deserved... more.

Dammit, they deserved love. And Gray just didn't... love them. Not in that way. He could never give that to them.

"Excuse me, Your Grace?"

Gray almost jumped from his spot when he heard the soft voice. Whipping around, he saw a young man servant awkwardly standing near the doorway of the room, with a cart of tea and other refreshments.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"...Yes," Gray responded, finally snapped out of his thoughts, "And I will take my tea black today, if you please."

* * *

**Okay! That one was for all you Gray lovers!**

**Since we already know what Lyon thinks about the arrangement of his nuptials, I thought it would be nice to show Gray's take on the matter.**

**Hope you like it!**


	3. Seeing her

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

Lyon Vastia had never considered falling in love. Not even for a second.

He was always dedicated to his duties to the kingdom, and never thought about romantic love as anything significant, no matter what his mother told him.

It was funny how much things could change, wasn't it?

The past Lyon would have laughed at him right now, for acting, for _feeling _like this. For feeling the way he did when he was with Juvia.

Juvia.

She had changed everything. She had changed him, in a way.

She was the one who finally made him see things in a new light. She was the one who made him fall. Hard.

He didn't know exactly when he had fallen, but he remembered when he first told her he loved her.

They were in the woods, the place they always met in, and they were talking. About meaningless things, things that made them both laugh. He didn't know why, but it just slipped out, and he stunned himself when it did. She had been surprised as well, and he was worried she would be frozen forever.

But then, all of a sudden she was giggling, then full out laughing, and before he knew it, she had leapt into his arms. He remember that look in her eyes, how so much happiness was there. It made him feel warm all over, and Lyon was overjoyed that he was the one who made her feel like that.

In his minds eye, he could see everything about that moment. It was like that when he was with Juvia, everything was so vivid and clear.

He could even remember the first time he saw her...

* * *

_Lyon..._

_Lyon..._

_"Prince Lyon!"_

_The silver haired young man snapped his head up, finally hearing his name being called. Seeing who it was, he just rolled his eyes and looked back down at the floor._

_"What is it you need, Loke?" He asked in a bored tone, never looking up._

_The ginger in question just grinned._

_"Come now, Your Grace, don't look so glum," Loke said, leaning against the wall next to the other man. "This is, after all, your birthday party."_

_"Again, do you need something?" Lyon looked at him, eyebrow twitching, "And shouldn't you be out on the dance floor with some woman by now, instead of wasting my time?"_

_"Your Grace, you hurt my feelings," Loke chucked, shaking his head. "Why do you insist on not participating in the evening's festivities? Look around, this is all for you." The orange haired mand gestured to the sparkling ballroom with a flourish of his hand._

_Lyon had to admit, it did look quite nice._

_The room twinkled with brilliance, filled with noble families, who were sipping champagne and talking about mindless things. At the far end of the great space, there was an orchestra, playing festive music that appealed to everyone. Then, there was the dancing. In the middle of the room there were couples of every age, dancing and waltzing to their hearts content, laughing merrily as the did._

_The young male sighed._

_He wasn't that fond of dancing._

_"I don't feel in the mood for merry making," Lyon replied to his unwanted companion._

_"Why not? It's not everyday you turn eighteen. Besides, look at all the fine maidens, surely at least one of them suits your tastes."_

_"Aren't you supposed to be the royal advisor to Fiore's princes? At least try to be a little more professional," Lyon scowled._

_"You're right, I am the royal advisor, with you and Gray as my charges. But don't act like that. All three of us have been together since we were five, Lyon."_

_It was true, Loke, Lyon, and Gray had been together for as long as he could remember, what with Loke living in the castle with them since they were children._

_Loke's father a prestigious, frankly uptight man, was the previous royal advisor for Lyon and Gray, and worked with them up until the past year. Loke, being the son of the advisor, was granted permission to live on the royal premises, to be closer to his father and his family._

_"Ah yes, the days when you were actually tolerable."_

_"You hurt me~."_

_"Shut up."_

_Loke laughed, smooth and quiet._

_Lyon shook his head, glancing at him and frowning._

_Even if he didn't look like it, Loke was consider quite the genius, which was one of the reasons he was chosen as the current advisor. Loke was wise for his years, and when he was presented with a problem, you could count on him figure out a stable solution, not matter how out-of-the-box it seemed. Not only that, but his knowledge in different subjects was stellar, Lyon was sure he had information about almost everything locked up in his mind._

_If only he didn't act like **such **a skirt-chasing idiot._

_"Well, it looks like another year hasn't changed you at all," Loke said, smiling._

_Lyon only grunted, staring out the vast window, his train of thoughts changing._

_Another ball, just like the year before. And the year before that, and the year before that..._

_He sighed, his eyes tracing the landscape outside._

_They didn't ask if he wanted one. They never did, but a party was always thrown, and it was always in the same room in the castle. It wasn't like he didn't appreciate the gesture, he did, but he felt suffocated, being stuck in the castle every year. He never did like these things, never liked dancing, or talking to people about politics, and he never did care for wearing formal attire. So every birthday he would just stand in a corner somewhere, trying to avoid talking to the lords and ladies of the kingdom._

_"Do you know what I would really like for my birthday?" Lyon asked, turning his head to the man beside him._

_"Oh? He actually wants something does he?" Loke teased._

_"You're being annoying, and yes. I do happen to want something."_

_"Well then, what is it? Come on, tell me. Is it a lady perhaps?"_

_Lyon had to stop himself from reaching over and smacking the back of the ginger's head._

_"If you keep talking, how am I supposed to answer?"_

_"Fine, fine."_

_Lyon sighed._

_"So? What is it then?" Loke asked, cocking a brow._

_Lyon stared out the window again, looking at all the stars in the sky._

_"I want to get out of this party," he said simply, not even bothering to look back at Loke._

_"What! Why~!" The man beside him called out with mock surprise._

_Again, the young prince scowled._

_"Do you notice that on my birthday we always have balls? Every year we always have balls," he said, looking around the room before them, "And every year I am surrounded by people I don't even care for at these said balls. I never dance, I never talk to anyone, and I don't even eat. Am I wrong?"_

_Loke chuckled and shook his head._

_"No, I suppose you're right."_

_"You're right, all this is grand," Lyon said, gesturing out to the party, "But it's not... me. It's not the way I want to be spending today." Lyon shook his head._

_The two young men stood there in brief silence, leaning against the wall._

_"You know, you could always go outside to the courtyard to escape," the other man pointed out._

_"I've tried, believe me. But whenever I go out someone always manages to find me and then, you, of all people, come to take me back. Do you know how frustrating that is?" Lyon said, through gritted teeth._

_"Very?'"_

_"It was a rhetorical question, imbecile."_

_"I'm wounded~!"_

_"Oh, shut up."_

_The young prince rolled his black eyes once more, before scanning the crowd of people._

_"I was meaning to ask you, where's The Streaker?" he asked, eyes still scanning over the people, in search for his brother._

_"Gray? Huh, now that you mention it, I don't know," Loke replied, "Probably out buttering up some lovely ladies. For the better of the kingdom, of course."_

_Lyon smirked, which was the closest thing to a smile he had shown all evening._

_Unlike him, his brother was usually the one joining in the party, and he would be the one to put up with the mindless chatter of many aristocrats. Of course, it wasn't that Gray cared about what they were saying, Lyon knew that his brother was actually quite annoyed by the conversations, but he would join them, because it was beneficial to the kingdom. Gray was always better at dealing with people than he was._

_To be honest, Lyon really didn't care about that all too much. Gray was charming and persuasive, relaxed and mellow, so it would be natural that he would be better with people. Granted, Lyon could be charming when he wanted, in fact, almost more so than his younger sibling, but that was reserved for desperate times, and desperate times only._

_"Is that so."_

_"Heh, are you jealous~?"_

_"Why would I be jealous about my brother talking to women? Especially when it is for the better of the kingdom, like you said," Lyon sighed._

_Loke grinned, eyeing the dance floor and all the women on it._

_"Because he's out there having a merry old' time, unlike you..."_

_Suddenly, the hazel eyed man's eyes became glassy, as he stared off into the the room, his previous sentence forgotten._

_Lyon looked at the man next to him, slightly concerned._

_"Loke?" He asked, waving a hand in front of the male's face, "Hello?"_

_Loke kept staring, not paying even the slightest bit of attention to his prince. Lyon sighed exasperatedly, before looking to where his his conrad's eyes were now glued to._

_He didn't understand what was so enthralling. All the man beside him was staring at was a bunch of noble ladies, crowded around each other in another part the room._

_Well, Loke always did love ladies, so it was no surprise that he had taken an interest, but Lyon felt as if this time wasn't like all the other times a pretty woman had caught his colleague's eye. No, something about this was... different. For one, Loke didn't immediately get up to go charm them with his naturally suave nature, in fact, he didn't even smile and wave their way._

_Not only that, but Loke's gaze was simply... intense. Intense, and unwavering, and filled with an emotion that Lyon really couldn't describe or put his finger on._

_The young prince once again looked towards the group of females, slightly confused. He stared them for awhile, trying to distinguish any slight differences between them. It was remarkable how alike they all looked, with their fancy hair up-do's and their extravagant ball gowns - it was like they were trying to look the same._

_Lyon studied them some more, noting in his head that their dresses didn't look comfortable in the slightest, when a flash of Carnation pink caught his eye. He peered at them once more, closely, finding the source of the bright color almost immediately._

_It seemed to be the hair of a woman._

_It was no wonder he didn't spot her before - she was partially blocked by another woman, making it hard for him to see her. All he could really make out was part of her pale face and her hair._

_There was a laugh from the group of ladies, and the noble lady blocking the woman stepped aside, going off with someone else while giggling happily. Now the pink haired woman was in full view._

_Lyon though he heard Loke's breath hitch from next to him, but brushed off as nothing, as he was now studying the paisley haired lady._

_She was a charming thing, with a curvaceous figure and a perpetual, pretty pink blush painted on her ivory cheeks. Her hair was simply left down, falling over her shoulders and down her back in soft, rosy curls._

_Her dress was far less flamboyant as any of the other woman in the ballroom. It was a white, cream color, made of perhaps, lace? The sleeves came to her elbows, hugging loosely to her upper arms. Her skirts where less full than all of the other skirts, and rather than being poofy and touching the floor, it instead flowed down to were it cut off at her ankles._

_The only jewel she wore was a single, small diamond on a thick silver chain, that sparkled in the light from where it hung down to her abdomen._

_She definitely looked different from all the other women she seemed to be talking to. In fact, while Lyon was watching her, he noticed that she acted very differently from the other women as well._

_She looked nice, and although he couldn't hear them from where he stood, Lyon had a feeling that the woman's words were gentle, just as gentle as the smile she gave to those she was talking to. She also was quite timid, only speaking when spoken to - whenever it seemed she wasn't included in the conversation, her chocolate eyes would turn their gaze to the floor, and it went on like that again and again._

_The silver haired male stopped watching her, instead his eyes turned to the man beside him._

_Loke was still staring, almost dazedly so, his lips turned upward into a soft smile._

_Lyon cocked a brow at that._

_When did Loke ever smile like that? It was nothing like the usual smirk he wore._

_He eyed him for a little longer, before hearing light footsteps making their way towards them. Loke immediately shifted, snapping out of his stupor, and fixing the cravat on his neck, while once again grinning suavely._

_Lyon looked in front of him again, his eyes coming to the pink haired woman, who was now walking gracefully towards them, a small, shy smile on her face._

_Loke grinned back._

_Lyon was at loss for what to do._

_Slowly, but surely, the young woman made her way, until she was standing in front of them, her warm eyes lowered, as she fidgeted with her dress._

_Lyon realized that her dress was made out of... wool, not lace or satin. How odd. Usually wool was outdoor wear..._

_"H-hello," she said, finally looking up, her soft voice barely above a whisper._

_Loke, being ever the gentleman he was, knelt down, taking her hand in his and planting a soft kiss on the back._

_"Hello to you, too, Lady Aries," the advisor said, giving her face a long, lingering glance, "And may I say, you look lovely tonight."_

_Lyon inwardly rolled his eyes, while the woman blushed a deep red._

_"Um, thank you. You look very beautiful-I mean h-handsome! H-Handsome tonight, Leo," the young lady replied, blush deepening further, due to her embarrassment._

_Lyon tilted his head in curiosity._

_She referred to Loke as Leo. That was unusual. Loke rarely told anyone his real name, and Lyon couldn't think of a good reason as to why he would tell this woman._

_Before he could think any more on the subject, he saw that the woman was looking at him, now._

_"Your Grace," she said, curtsying low, her hair flowing down._

_"Ah, yes! This is his highness Prince Lyon, the man of the hour!" Loke said, gesturing to the silver haired man. "I don't believe you two have met, yes?"_

_The cocoa eyed woman nodded silently, showing them a soft smile._

_"Well, it's good to meet you," Lyon said, finally deciding to speak._

_"A-Ah, yes, it is a pleasure. And a happy birthday to you, Sire," she said, as she bowed her head in respect._

_"Thank you, Miss... Aries? Is that your name? The same name as Aries the god of war, correct?" He asked._

_The young lady blushed._

_"Yes, that is my name," she said, nodding._

_"She was not named after the ancient god of war from mythology," Loke cut in, "Her namesake is Aries, the astrologic constellation. The beautiful ram of the stars, not the bloodthirsty deity. I would never think that the lovely Lady Aries would be named after war. She is far to sweet for that." Loke flashed her a smile._

_"So," Lyon began, ignoring the other man's flirty tendencies, "Are you enjoying the party?"_

_"Oh yes," Aries said, nodding, "It is very lively. Are you enjoying yourself, My League?"_

_"Mm, yes," he lied, once again ignoring Loke, who was snickering behind his hand._

_"Yes, His Majesty was just going on about his thoughts of the party," Loke smirked._

_Lyon cleared his throat._

_"In fact, I was just about to suggest for him to go dance," Loke said, glancing at the prince._

_At the prospect of dancing, the young pink haired lady brightened._

_"Oh, you should, Sire," Aries said, smiling warmly. "Dancing is most fun, especially with a partner."_

_"Well, maybe a little later," Lyon said, "I don't feel in the mood for dancing, I'm afraid."_

_"That's too bad," Loke said, sighing a little, "I was hoping you would go dance with someone, that way I wouldn't feel so bad about leaving you."_

_Lyon shot him a questioning look._

_"My Lady," Loke said, turning to Aries, bowing, "I would like to talk to you outside, if you please."_

_"U-Um," Aries stuttered, "But Leo, what about-"_

_"Don't worry about me," Lyon interjected,"I'll be just fine, Lady Aries. Besides," Lyon looked at Loke, glaring at him in his mind, "Sir Loke must have something important to tell you."_

_"A-Alright then," Aries replied, casting her eyes down again, her cheeks heating up._

_"Great!" Loke said, smiling brightly, "I'll meet you out in the gardens then."_

_Nodding, the young woman curtsied and turned, walking away, her skirts flowing around her. Loke stared after her retreating form._

_Once she was no longer in sight, Lyon turned to the other man._

_"Okay, I just have to say it. She is far to nice and innocent to be another of your accomplishments," the prince said, disapproval laced in his voice._

_Loke smirked._

_"Believe me, Aries was never just another one of my accomplishments," he replied, turning away._

_Lyon confused by Loke's reply, but before he could even fathom what the man said, Loke was already walking off in the direction of the exit. Lyon watched him walk away, his expression stuck in bewilderment._

_...What?_

_Shaking his head, the young man cleared his thoughts._

_Besides, that really didn't matter._

_He rubbed his face with his hand, gazing off._

_Now that Loke was gone, Lyon didn't have anyone to talk to. He supposed he could go get something to eat, but he didn't was to go out into the crowd, in fact, he wasn't even that hungry. _

_Lyon gazed out the window again, tracing the constellations with his eyes._

_Maybe he would take Loke's advice and go out to the courtyard. After all, now that the advisor was gone, there was no one who would drag the prince back to the party-_

_Lyon smirked. _

_There was **no one **to drag him back._

_Lyon's smirk grew, as his brain began to devise a plan._

* * *

_The swirling night air blew Lyon's hood off of his head, running through his spiky hair, as his horse ran at an incredibly fast pace. Twigs snapped under the steed's hooves, the sound of crunching of leaves crackling in man's ears._

_He breathed in the fresh air, taking in the sent of trees, as he pulled back on the reins of his horse. The animal neighed loudly, skidding to a stop, grinding a bit of the grass filled ground._

_Lyon dismounted, swinging his leg over and stepping down. Taking the reins, he walked over to a tree and tied the leather straps to the trunk, tightly knotting them._

_"Alright, boy, I'll be back," he said to the horse, stroking it's mane before turning and walking away._

_He was glad to be out of that ballroom._

_Sneaking out of the ball had been easy enough, although he had to avoid many aristocrats when he exited. When he left the party, he went to his chambers, putting some warm, black leather boots, accompanied by a thick, dark cloak, with a hood that his his face completely. He didn't want anyone to spot him on his way out._

_Getting outside the castle grounds had been tricky, especially with a horse, but he managed to distract the guards by letting a young, very swift pony loose at the gate. While the men were trying to bring the pony back to the stables, Lyon had escaped unnoticed._

_The young male looked up at the towering trees and smiled._

_He didn't know where exactly he wanted to go, so he decided just decided to ride until he felt like stopping. It looked like he led himself to the big forest, just south of the castle, and a bit north from the small village of Magnolia._

_Sticking his hands in the pockets of his pants, he kept walking._

_This part of the woods was beautiful. There were plants and flowers of all kinds with elegant petals in brilliant colors, like lilac and deep reds the color of licorice. The dim moonlight peeked through the branches of the old, tall trees, casting an eerie glow on everything it touched, making the whole place look mystical and mysterious. _

_This looked like a forest in a fairy tale book. The place where pixies and princes and talking birds meet._

_Lyon's feet took him further in, stopping every now and again to look at some plants._

_After awhile of wandering around, he came across a quaint pond. _

_It was small, but big enough if someone wanted to swim in it. The water was completely clear, so much so that Lyon could see the pebbles and the small fish at the bottom. On the water's surface there were pastel colored lily pads, all floating around, shining prettily in the light._

_Lyon put his hand in the water, and then cupped both of his hands, bringing a handful of the liquid to his lips. He drank the cold water, feeling it go down his throat and through his chest._

_Looking into the pond, Lyon frowned._

_He had to head back soon._

_He sighed and stood up, and was about to leave._

_... Until he saw... her._

_Acro_s_s the pond, sitting on a large boulder, was a woman around his age, if not a bit younger._

_She wore simple clothes. On her upper body she wore a long-sleeved, dark brown knitted sweater, that fit loosely around her frame. On her legs were some wool pants _t_hat cut off at the knees, hugging to her body, probably made for easy movement. She had a pair of calf-high, black leather boots, that seemed to be held together well, although the soles were worn. _

_Right next to her, resting on the boulder she sat on, was a finely carved black-oak wooden bow, the quiver that held the arrows still strapped across her back._

_Her hair was a vivid persian blue, cut short, the ends spiking downward, coming just short of her shoulders. Her skin was a pale ivory, the color of the full moon that she was staring from her sitting place. Her eyes were the deepest blue Lyon had ever seen, deeper than the color of a lake, deeper than the ocean._

_Lyon shifted, his foot accidentally kicking a pebble, which landed in the pond with a soft splash._

_Well, Lyon assumed it was soft, but in the silence of the woods, it seemed, much, much louder._

_She, the girl he had been so unabashedly gazing at, turned her head in his direction. Her indigo eyes glinted with curiosity, as she noticed him for the first time._

_His ebony pupils met with her cobalt orbs, neither of them even blinking._

_And that was when his heart stopped._

* * *

**Alright chapter three done! **_  
_

**I thought that Loke would be a good choice for the advisors of the princes, because with both Gray and Lyon, who are so stoic, there needs to be someone close to them that has a more playful personality. Plus, I didn't want to use Toby or Yuka. Not Toby because there is no way he would land a job advising someone, unless that someone was his sock. Not Yuka because I don't think he would get along with Gray under any circumstances, and also because he is quite serious himself.**

**Before I finish, I would like to reply to some of my reviewers, who have given me great reviews!**

**To animal202 and NudgeThePyro: I'm so glad you guys like the story! Please keep reading!**

**To Meffisto and Yummit the Infinite: Thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it. And I do plan on expanding the character as best as I can along with the world they live in, but slowly. Piece by piece, bit by bit.**

**To LiGHTNiNGFAiRY59: I am so extremely flattered by your review! But, unfortunately I don't really update fast, as you can see, so I would feel really bad if I take really, really long to update, because that wouldn't be fair to you and your project. So... I going to say no. I'm really sorry!**

**Thank you everyone for reading!**


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